Though the JRPG has remained the de facto king of the RPG space for the last few decades, one could argue that the popular genre would never have existed were it not for DRPGs. What started in eons past with titles like Ultima and aimed to translate a traditional D&D gameplay experience to the screen has given way to more approachable dungeon-crawlers like Etrian Odyssey and Demon Gaze. In 2018, Nippon Ichi tried its hand at the subgenre with the enjoyable Labyrinth Of Refrain: Coven Of Dusk and it’s now opted to follow up on that experiment with Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society. Though it’s clearly designed for a relatively narrow audience, there’s a lot to love about Labyrinth of Galleria.
Labyrinth of Galleria places you in the role of Eureka, a bright-eyed young girl responding to a job posting that sees her visiting a sketchy abandoned manor in the woods. Here, she is welcomed by the witchy Madame Marta, who quickly bonds her with a cute green ghost that Eureka names ‘Fantie’ and prompts her to use her spooky new friend to explore the vast labyrinth below Galleria Manor in search of powerful magical artifacts that the manor’s mysterious owner desires. No human can enter the labyrinth and return unharmed, so Marta teaches her how to use Fantie’s powers to imbue various puppets with life and direct them to explore the dungeon on her behalf. Eureka thus sets out on a vicarious quest into the depths below, while slowly learning more about her eccentric employers.
In a bundle just as rare as little Grogu, Microsoft announced two sweepstakes for The Mandalorian-themed Xbox Series S|X consoles and accessories.
An Xbox Wire blog post announced Xbox’s Lucasfilm collaboration featuring a package of Grogu goodies celebrating The Mandalorian’s Season 3 debut. The Star Wars gaming gear is an extra-limited edition set, only available by entering the sweepstakes on Twitter, with more Mandalorian-themed accessories up for grabs through Microsoft Rewards.
Beginning today and wrapping up on May 11, The Mandalorian fans can enter through a retweet with #TheMandalorianXboxSweepstakes of the Xbox official contest post. The custom Xbox Series X and Series S consoles feature the show’s beloved Star Wars dad, Din Djardin, and the adorable Baby Yoda – or Grogu. Sticking to the theme, Xbox is also offering a tiny hoodie for the consoles’ bright green controller, complete with Grogu’s fluffy trim and all.
Anyone in Xbox-supported locations can enter the Twitter sweepstakes, but the Xbox Wire post notes its hosting an additional drawing for a human-sized Pram bundle open to US account holders only. The prize includes the same consoles, but they’re packaged with the giant Grogu pod that features all sorts of bells and whistles with flashy lights, cupholders, and massage cushions.
The Mandalorian Season 3 kicks off today on Disney+ with the first of eight episodes, and we’ve already got a list of burning questions from the debut’s biggest reveals. After comments on cameos from some Star Wars characters we thought long-perished, The Mandalorian co-creator Jon Favreau only adds to those rampant fan theories and speculation.
Grogu and Mando’s latest adventure should be available to Disney+ subscribers now, with new episodes airing on Wednesdays. As for The Mandalorian’s premiere, the 8/10 IGN review summarized: “The show goes back to the beginning to demonstrate how much has changed even if its core dynamic remains the same, laying solid groundwork for a host of new conflicts for the Mandalorian and his foundling to face together.”
Andrea Shearon is a freelance contributor for IGN covering games and entertainment. She’s worn several hats over her seven-year career in the games industry, with bylines over at Fanbyte, USA Today’s FTW, TheGamer, VG247, and RPG Site. Find her on Twitter (@Maajora) or the Materia Possessions podcast chatting about FFXIV, RPGs, and any series involving giant robots.
Star Wars: Jedi Survivor director Stig Asmussen wants to make Cal Kestis’s story a trilogy, meaning a third and final game could be coming from Respawn Entertainment in the future.
Speaking on IGN Unfiltered, Asmusssen suggested that a third Star Wars: Jedi game is likely if the upcoming Jedi: Survivor performs well.
Sequel discussions were happening even before Jedi: Fallen Order was released in 2019. “We were already talking about the second game,” said Asmussen. “I mean, frankly, we were talking beyond. And these are conversations that, when we’re breaking this story with Lucasfilm, it’s like: ‘Well, where are we going with the second game?’
“I always wanted to see this as a trilogy,” he continued. “How can we take Cal and the crew to new places beyond what we were doing in the first game?
“We had a pretty decent idea of timeframe where we wanted Survivor to take place, what the stakes were going to be, what the tone o the game was going to be, what Cal was going to be up against, and how the crew was going to factor into that. And there’s ideas of what we could do beyond that as well.”
Asmussen spoke about progress beyond just the story and gameplay too, saying that a third game most likely be built using Unreal Engine 5 instead of Survivor’s Unreal Engine 4. “I think it’s a pretty safe assumption,” he said.
“I’m not going to say it’s going to be easy. I mean, we have a lot of proprietary things that we’ve warped the engine into doing what it does for Jedi right now, and we would have to retool some of that to get it to work on any new engine.”
In our preview of the game, IGN said: “Jedi: Survivor feels grander without ever letting the burgeoning scope compromise the exploration and sense of discovery that serves as its heart.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
RPS Game Club, a kind of monthly book club for games where we pick a game to play each month, write some cool things about it, and have a big all liveblog discussion with you lot, our readers, at the end of it. It’s a project I’ve been wanting to get off the ground for some time now, and finally, the Treehouse Game Club doors have been busted open… and there’s some toe-tapping guitar music coming from inside? That’s right, we’re playing Hi-Fi Rush as our first RPS Game Club game, and we hope you’ll join us on this month-long musical journey.
Today, Telltale Games has announced that its long-awaited sequel to The Wolf Among Us is being pushed out of 2023 in an effort to avoid crunch and team burnout, as well as accommodate a move from Unreal Engine 4 to 5.
Speaking to IGN, Telltale Games CEO Jamie Ottilie explained that the team made the choice for a number of reasons, but primarily to avoid burnout or shipping an unfinished game.
“Making games is difficult and they need time to be right,” he said. “And it doesn’t do any of us any good to ship something that’s not ready.”
Ottilie explains that like many other studios, the re-established Telltale Games had struggled with the challenges inherent to building a studio during the COVID-19 pandemic. After being resurrected by LCG Entertainment in 2019 following the shutdown of the original Telltale, Telltale unveiled The Wolf Among Us 2 at The Game Awards the following December. But the studio was still in its very early stages, with the game in pre-production (and explicitly not using any previously-developed material), and the new studio roughly two years away from being fully staffed. While at the time it made sense to announce early to help secure funding and support for the new initiative, Ottilie admits that had he known then about other coming factors like the pandemic, he may not have made the same decision.
Making games is difficult and they need time to be right. And it doesn’t do any of us any good to ship something that’s not ready.
“The best game we could have made”
Since then, he continues, The Wolf Among Us 2 has been proceeding well. But recently, Telltale made the decision to switch from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal 5. It’s a move that Ottilie says happened because Unreal 5 has a number of interesting features that many on his team, specifically engineers and artists, feel are worth the effort. But he admits that means redoing “quite a bit of work” that was already done in Unreal 4.
With all that in mind, Ottilie says there would have been only two ways to meet the 2023 release window. One option would have been to ship something unfinished, which is (perhaps obviously) off the table:
“If we put this game out and it’s not ready, we’re going to get torn to shreds,” he says. “The expectations are pretty high, and we want time to meet those and we want to be proud of it and know that, ‘Hey, this is the best game we could have made.’ Let the world say what they will [once] it’s done, but at least we know that in these times, in these conditions, this is the best game that we could make.”
The other option would be to crunch — a problem that reportedly plagued the original Telltale Games before its shuttering. Ottilie is adamant that their version of Telltale simply won’t do it.
“I’ve done [crunch], and I don’t want to do it again, and it’s not fair to ask it,” he says. “You can’t plan a business around it. So yeah, part of it is about maintaining a healthy work culture. We don’t want to burn out our good people. It has been incredibly difficult to recruit the last two years between COVID and the labor markets and the growth in the games industry. So certainly, burning people out or grinding them down is the wrong thing to do long-term. It’s not how you build a business. And as an industry, we’re terrible about it. We burn our people out. We burn our best people out faster. And as an industry, if we’re going to continue to grow, we have to stop it. We just have to stop doing it and make better choices.”
The Wolf Among Us 2 will be an episodic release as its predecessor was, but unlike many former Telltale titles, it’s being developed all at once — so when episode one hits, all other episodes will already be completed. It’s now on the docket for 2024, but Telltale does have one major release this year: The Expanse: A Telltale Series, which it’s making in partnership with Deck Nine Games. Telltale also has a third, unknown title in very early development.
In the meantime, it’s certainly worth going back and checking out the original The Wolf Among Us, especially as its sequel will pick up where Bigby Wolf and Snow White left off. We praised the first episode for its “well-written adventure” with “an added dose of stylish noir presentation” when it released way back in 2013, and had plenty of nice things to say about the four subsequent episodes, too.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
In the magazine business, the Back Page is where you’d find all the weird goofs that we couldn’t fit in anywhere else. Some may call it “filler”; we prefer “a whole page to make terrible jokes that are tangentially related to the content of the mag”.We don’t have pages on the internet, but we still love terrible jokes — so welcome to our semi-regular feature, Back Page.
MLB The Show 23is available for pre-order today on the Xbox Store and will launch day one with Xbox Game Pass on March 28.
Following up from our previous coverage about the upcoming MLB The Show 23, including a detailed look at the new Storylines: Negro Leagues feature, we’re back with even more info about some of the exciting gameplay improvements and features that will be in store when MLB The Show 23 launches March 28 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and day one with Xbox Game Pass. Let’s dive in!
Defense
High fielding attribute matters more now than ever before. The disparity between players in-game with high vs low fielding attributes is more noticeable. Players with a lower Fielding attribute will react slower to contact made off the bat compared to players with a high Fielding attribute.
When it comes to our throwing interfaces, we have a couple to select from depending on your skill and engagement level. Our more approachable interfaces, Buttons and Analog, rely heavily on the Arm Accuracy attribute which has been tuned to be in line with MLB statistics. Or you can elevate your game with the Button Accuracy Meter where you are in complete control of your throws.
If using Button Accuracy throwing interface, consistent with last year’s game, the green portion of the meter (indicates a throw that will be accurate to the fielder), scales based on the Arm Accuracy attribute. However, the functionality of the meter has changed. Universally, the speed of the meter needle is slower than in years past. This is intended, as it will help to facilitate the upcoming changes.
In previous years of The Show, the meter was consistent, meaning the green spot was always in the middle. Repetition with this mechanic led to ease of use for many of you. Now, on difficult Infield plays and long outfield throws, the green portion of the meter will dynamically move. This change increases realism while also adding additional skill to defense.
On force throws to first base, you will experience a yellow portion of the meter. This section indicates the dirt ball region of the meter, leading to balls being thrown in the dirt. The frequency of the play being made is based on the first baseman’s Fielding attribute. Visit custom practice to experience and perfect the changes to fielding and throwing.
Two new quirks have been added/revamped on defense. These two quirks are Break Outlier and Pick Off Artist. A pitcher with Break Outlier loses break at a slower rate than those without the quirk. A pitcher with Pick Off Artist leads to 2x the chance of a successful pick-off.
Offense
The pitcher-batter dynamic is better than ever with the revamped competitive gameplay engine. And don’t worry Casual or Simulation fans, we have also tuned and balanced those gameplay styles as well.
One of the major attribute updates to MLB The Show 23 is we have redefined the Clutch attribute. With runners in scoring position, Clutch attribute directly replaces contact. This helps to facilitate more realism. The battle between a batter’s Contact attribute and a pitcher’s Hits per 9 innings (H/9) attribute is directly replaced with batter Clutch and Pitcher Clutch with Runners in scoring position (RISP).
Two new quirks have been added on offense. These are Bad Ball Hitter and Table Setter. A batter with Bad Ball Hitter will excel at hitting pitches outside of the Strike Zone. A batter with Table Setter excels with no runners on base.
Animations
We’ve added over 5,000 gameplay animations to MLB The Show 23! We have hundreds of new animations ranging from robbing foul balls, dives, hot shot variety at the corners, and as always animations for urgency and efficiency.
Gameplay Styles
Gameplay styles are meant to create unique experiences for all players out there. Gameplay style tuning for Casual and Simulation are continuously taking place. However, the biggest gameplay style change revolves around Competitive gameplay style.
Competitive gameplay style is the default for all Online Head-to-Head* games and all Diamond Dynasty* modes. Competitive Gameplay Style can also be accessed by visiting the gameplay settings and toggling the Gameplay Style setting under General Difficulty.
The goal of this gameplay style is to increase the consistency of good input for producing good results and bad input for producing bad results, without going too far from baseball strategy and basics. Players will notice more swings and misses, fewer popups and choppers, and the hits put into play are slightly better to make up for fewer being put into play.
Player Clarity, Visual Updates In-game, and Functionality Improvements
Updates to the in-game displays have been made. The largest focus for visual display updates revolved around increasing clarity amongst the player base.
Swing Feedback
Swing feedback is a piece of art that appears in the bottom left corner of the screen after a swing attempt is made. This feedback displays Batter Attributes, Pitch Location, Pitch Type, Swing Timing, and Plate Coverage Indicator Placement. It is meant to help describe the outcome of the hit. Although it is difficult to achieve perfection through this art, strides were made to increase precision and accuracy of the art. Previous versions of MLBTS swing feedback displayed Swing Inputs on the left and displayed the outputs on the right. Now, the swing feedback is a story that can be read from left to right, top to bottom.
In Game D-pad functionality
Left on the Directional Buttons now display live, up to date, Statcast numbers. Right on the Directional Buttons now display important Pitcher/Batter matchups, attempting to present all factors that impact the At-Bat. This includes vital attributes that dynamically swap in and all active quirks. Up on the Directional Buttons remains relatively consistent to previous years of MLB The Show, with slight functionality updates, including the ability to bring in a pitcher that’s being warmed up without needing to navigate back into the bullpen.
Settings Updates
Settings terminology, organization, and descriptions have been updated to better inform players as for what each gameplay setting does. There are now two new settings that allow for increased customization of Pre-Pitch displays while on Offense and Defense. These new settings can be found under Display and aim to allow for increased control over what information is presented on screen prior to a pitch being thrown. These two settings are Pitch Select Displays and Batter Controls Display.
Additional Visual Updates
The runner windows displayed in the top right for a first base runner and top left for a third base runner no longer appear. This camera can now be seen in the top right baserunning diamond during pre-pitch. Logic is tied to which runner is shown in the camera, leading to the most viable runner displaying based on the bases currently occupied. Now that space has been created in the top left corner of the screen, important information can be displayed here such as Road to The Show base gains increase or decrease, moment tracking, and Dynamic Difficulty updates.
Custom Practice Updates
We’ve added some important functionality to Custom Practice. It now has a couple important additions. While Batting, players now can finetune specific pitch locations around the Strike Zone. This tool is very useful for improving your eye and improving at specific problem areas. In previous years, players could solely turn specific pitches Off or On. This functionality has been expanded upon, allowing players to choose the frequency of pitches thrown through a slider mechanism.
Attribute Descriptions
MLB The Show has a lot of attributes and if you’re new to the franchise you might not know what they all mean. Be sure to check out the handbook/strategy guide located in the pause menu in-game. The attribute descriptions can now also be found in the Diamond Dynasty Handbook. These descriptions provide insightful information as for how each attribute functions and interacts with gameplay. The goal here is to ensure all players have the information needed to make the best possible decision when forming a squad or making an important managerial decision in game.
Passive Quirks Changes
We’ve removed passive quirks from MLB The Show 23. Simplifying the quirk system seems to be the best approach here, as there was generally confusion as for what Active Quirks did vs Passive Quirks. Universally, we hope this change leads to more clarity since only the quirks that impact gameplay is displayed.
Updated Options Explorer
The options explorer audio and art has been updated. This is a great area for players to learn the mechanics offered within MLB The Show. The general rule of thumb for gameplay mechanics is that the more control a player has over the mechanic, the less ability the CPU must influence gameplay.
MLB Rule Changes
Changes to Extreme Left and Extreme Right shifts are now implemented into MLB The Show 23. These changes set a good baseline but will need tuning based on real life strategy seen throughout the MLB season.
Online H2H/Co-Op
Improvements to Online Stability are continuously being worked on to provide the best experience possible. For those Co-Op players, Play Now Co-Op now offers the ability to toggle the rotational patterns prior to loading into game. Rather than being locked into rotating roles per inning on defense and rotating per at-bat on offense, teams can now choose additional rotation patterns. (Online features require internet connection).
Xbox Game Pass Members Can Play Four Days Early with the Xbox Game Pass Early Access Bundle
We’re excited to announce the return of the Xbox Game Pass Early Access Bundle, allowing members to join in on the fun and play four days early! In addition to playing early, players will receive two Gold Choice Packs, 10 The Show Packs, one Ballplayer Pack, double daily rewards, and 10K Stubs. If you pre-order the Early Access Bundle for Xbox Game Pass, you will receive an additional Gold Choice Pack.
Note: This bundle is exclusively designed for Xbox Game Pass members to play MLB The Show 23 early. If you’re not an Xbox Game Pass member and you purchase this bundle, you will not be able to play MLB The Show 23. For those fans, we recommend the MLB The Show 23: Digital Deluxe Edition.
We could not be more excited for MLB The Show 23 coming out March 28 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and available day one with Xbox Game Pass! Look forward to new ways to play, a new class of legends and much more! CheckTheShow.com and follow our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts for the latest updates about MLB The Show 23. For more detailed information on MLB The Show 23, read here.
MLB® The Show™ 23 Xbox Game Pass Early Access Bundle
GAME NOT INCLUDED. For Xbox Game Pass subscribers interested in playing MLB The Show 23 during Early Access, this is for you.
Purchasers of the MLB® The Show™ 23 Xbox Game Pass Early Access Bundle will get access to MLB The Show 23 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on March 24th 2023 – four days early – as well as the following additional items:
Four Days Early Access for Xbox Game Pass Users.
2 Gold Choice Pack.
10 Show Packs.
1 Ballplayer Pack.
Double Daily login rewards.
10k Stubs™.
MLB® The Show™ 23 gets you closer than ever to living your Baseball dreams on the diamond. Shock The Game and Own The Show with your favorite players, your favorite rivalries, and all your favorite MLB moments.
Buy the MLB® The Show™ 23 digital version for Xbox One and when ready, upgrade to the MLB® The Show™ 23 digital version for Xbox Series X|S for an additional cost.
This edition includes:
• Full game for Xbox Series X|S
• Full game for Xbox One
• Five The Show Packs.
• 10K Stubs™.
MLB® The Show™ 23 gets you closer than ever to living your Baseball dreams on the diamond. Shock The Game and Own The Show with your favorite players, your favorite rivalries, and all your favorite MLB moments.
Get the next-generation MLB The Show 23 experience when you play on Xbox Series X|S, including the return of Stadium Creator mode, and face your friends with cross-platform play* or continue your progress on other platforms with cross progression**.
Today we’re happy to reveal the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for March. As announced at last week’s State of Play, the Monthly Games lineup of Battlefield 2042, Minecraft Dungeons and Code Vein will be available to PlayStation Plus members on Tuesday, March 7 until Monday April 3.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the games in turn.
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Battlefield 2042 | PS4, PS5
Battlefield 2042 is an exhilarating first-person shooter that marks the return of the iconic all-out warfare the franchise is well known for. Set in a near-future world transformed by disorder, you’ll have to adapt and overcome dynamic battlegrounds with the help of your squad and an arsenal of cutting-edge weapons and vehicles. With support for 128 players on PlayStation 5*, Battlefield 2042 brings unprecedented scale on vast battlegrounds across the globe. Participate in massive experiences, from updated multiplayer modes like Conquest and Breakthrough to the all-new Hazard Zone.
*Up to 64 players supported on PlayStation 4.
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Minecraft Dungeons | PS4
Fight your way through an all-new action-adventure game, inspired by classic dungeon crawlers and set in the Minecraft universe. Brave the dungeons alone, or team up with friends. Up to four players can battle together through action-packed, treasure-stuffed, wildly varied levels – all in an epic quest to save the villagers and take down the evil Arch-Illager. Unlock dozens of unique items and weapon enchantments for devastating special attacks. Fight up-close with melee swings, hang back with ranged attacks, or tank your way through swarms of mobs, shielded by heavy armour!
Download the image
Code Vein | PS4
Team up with an AI partner or a friend in co-op multiplayer and venture out into a world of destruction in this story driven connected dungeon experience, using your combined strength to coordinate your approach and defend each other from surprise attacks or tackle overpowered enemies. Choose from various weapons such as bayonets, axes, spears, and more. Enhance your character’s abilities with powerful Blood Code enhancements, Acquire new gear, level up your character, and become more powerful to rise up against the Lost.
Last chance to download February’s Monthly Games
PlayStation Plus members have until Monday March 6 to add Evil Dead: The Game, OlliOlliWorld, Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Mafia: Definitive Edition to their game library.
Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw of his decision to publish the plot of Episode 3 as fanfiction. “I was living on an island, totally cut off from my friends and creative community of the last couple decades, I was completely out of touch and had nobody to talk me out of it. It just seemed like a fun thing to do… until I did it.”
Laidlaw first discovered that community in the mid 90s, in the office of Valve, where Gabe Newell and team were already hard at work on Half-Life. “I’d seen bits and pieces of the levels they were working on, but as soon as I heard the name, I just got this amazing buzz,” Laidlaw says. “I could see the whole world they were aiming at somehow, and I felt it was a collective vision. This is one reason it’s so weird to me when people try to attribute authorship to me that I’ve never felt. It was all there when I got there, in embryo.”
RPS Game Club, a kind of monthly book club for games where we pick a game to play each month, write some cool things about it, and have a big all liveblog discussion with you lot, our readers, at the end of it. It’s a project I’ve been wanting to get off the ground for some time now, and finally, the Treehouse Game Club doors have been busted open… and there’s some toe-tapping guitar music coming from inside? That’s right, we’re playing 
, so we’re seeing some big discounts on previously-released options that bring them into newfound relevance. Such is the case with the Ryzen 7 7700X, the middle child of the Zen 4 lineup and an absolutely beastly performer when it comes to gaming thanks to its full-fat eight-core, one-CCD design. This chip launched at $399 but is now $100 cheaper thanks to a discount code at Newegg, where you can pick up the 7700X for $298.99 when you use code <strong>BTSCP2655</strong> at the checkout.</p><p><a href=)
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Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw of his decision to publish the plot of Episode 3 as fanfiction. “I was living on an island, totally cut off from my friends and creative community of the last couple decades, I was completely out of touch and had nobody to talk me out of it. It just seemed like a fun thing to do… until I did it.”